Existing lighting systems are inefficient and consume too much energy. For example, most commercial buildings employ fluorescent lighting systems which may have a low luminous efficacy and/or efficiency. In addition, there exist government incentives (e.g., rebates and/or funding) to update buildings by retrofitting such fluorescent lighting systems with more efficient lighting systems of higher luminous efficacy and/or efficiency.
One challenge in retrofitting existing lighting systems is that there are many different models and widely varying structural specifications. For instance, fluorescent lighting systems installed in a hanging ceiling might come in hundreds of models. A single company may offer, for example, up to 55 different recessed fixtures, each of these fixtures having subtle differences. Each fixture may have a different shaped lamp holder cavity, a different shaped light seal surface, different shaped air handlers (i.e., different flange configurations depending on if the air handlers are to supply or to return air for a room), a different fixture contour, and so forth. Accordingly, there remains a need for a retrofit lighting system that has a higher luminous efficacy and/or efficiency and yet universally retrofits to many different lighting systems.